SIFF ended with a fizzle for me on Saturday May 8th. The screening of DECODING ANNIE PARKER was cut short at the half hour point by a broken projector. (See review further down the page.) Then I saw an obscure, intriguing, odd older film that was beautifully restored, called PORT OF SHADOWS (1938), but the plot was rather bizarre, and the story line seemed stretched out, and frankly, I was so tired at that point that the film left me non plussed by the end. GRADE----C+
So here is a brief listing of my favorite films, in no particular order----and I'll give more info when they open up at theatres later in the year. You can also see some older previous blogs for more info........
These films were rated A or A-
YOU WILL BE MY SON
TEST
HOUSE WITH A TURRET
TRAILS OF MUHAMMAD ALI
FULL CIRCLE
GIRL WITH 9 WIGS
ALICE WALKER; TRUTH IN BEAUTY
STILL MINE
HALIMA'S PATH
A BAND CALLED DEATH
JIN
STORIES WE TELL
AFTER TILLER
WHAT MAISIE KNEW
FRANCES HA
The following were rated B+ and on any given day could replace any of the above in preference.....
THE WALL
LAST I HEARD
MERCY
BEFORE SNOWFALL
IN THE NAME OF...
OUT IN THE DARK
IMAGINE
INEQUALITY FOR ALL
ATRACO!
LADY IN PARIS
IT'S ALL SO QUIET
ARTIST AND MODEL
THE HUNT
WISH YOU WERE HERE
HORSES OF GOD
UNFINISHED SONG
UNHUNG HERO
Here's what I've seen this past 2 weeks--not much new stuff, but still recovering from 117 SIFF films (my lowest total in many years....).........
Now playing regular engagements from SIFF---
Catch WHAT MAISIE KNEW if you can. It is an insightful, fascinating contemporary story based on a novel by Henry James, of a young girl being tossed back and forth between her divorcing, embittered parents, played brilliantly by Julianne Moore and Steve Coogan, with the amazing Onata Aprile as the precocious 6 year old. It really makes you think what kind of adult this child will grow up to be. GRADE-----A-
Also ending a regular run after a SIFF premiere is FRANCES HA, a comic drama from director Noah Baumbach (SQUID AND THE WHALE) that features his wife, Greta Gerwig in the lead. Here is a young woman and struggling dancer trying to grow up to responsible adulthood after college, but she finds the pull of irresponsibility and freedom hard to give up. GRADE----A-
Also featured during SIFF's opening weekend is Canadian actress/director (GO! and AWAY FROM HER) Sarah Polley's docudrama features her family revealing secrets and mysteries about the family past, in the fascinating and surprising STORIES WE TELL. There are some great twists, even up to the final minutes, which will keep you involved. GRADE----A
Opening for probably a brief run is the Australian thriller WISH YOU WERE HERE, which features a great, nervous, guilty looking performance by Joel Edgerton (WARRIOR, ZERO DARK THIRTY, GREAT GATSBY) as a married man with kids who cannot seem to remember details of the disappearance of his sister-in-law's boyfriend when the four of them were on a drug fueled vacation in Cambodia. The mystery is slowly revealed and keeps you intrigued for the duration.
GRADE------B+
Opening also from SIFF is the first segment of a trilogy called PARADISE : LOVE (soon to be followed by PARADISE : FAITH and PARADISE : HOPE, which are all quite different in theme and tone, with only a thin line of similar characters...) This one deals with a German woman on vacation in Kenya buying sex from local beach boys. It is provocative stuff, and lots of flesh (both genders) is on display, as the film tries to show who is the exploiter and the exploited, and often the lines are blurred. It will make you squirm. GRADE------B+
I finally caught up with THE BLING RING, director Sophia Coppola's newest film (it was the closing night feature at SIFF) and I have to say that I found it fascinating, as it tells the real life drama of a bunch of privileged high school kids who break into the homes of the rich and famous and go on "shopping" sprees in their HUGE closets.) Paris Hilton was one of their victims, and she makes a brief appearance as herself in the film--apparently they filmed those sequences in her actual home. The film has attitude, style, and feels quite topical as it explores the relationships and motives behind these young thieves. GRADE----B+
The only non-SIFF film I saw this past week is the science fiction thriller THE PURGE, which has a very gutsy premise that you either accept (and like the film) or reject (and probably hate the film.) I took a leap of faith and swallowed the premise, and really thought there was a lot of challenging ideas floating around. In the near future, there is one night a year where anything goes---murder, violence, robberies---with out police interference, for various purposes, like revenge, getting hatred out of your system, thrills, prejudice--whatever. A young rich family lives in a supposedly well secured community, but when things go wrong (as they are wont to do in films like this,) it becomes a very long night for them, and their relationships towards each other are revealed. There's a bit too much hand held nonsense, but I was engrossed from beginning to end. GRADE------B
I finally saw the make up screening last Sunday for DECODING ANNIE PARKER. The film is being used to raise money for breast cancer research, and comes with commercials (at the beginning) to steer people to get help. I certainly applaud the film makers efforts for the cause. However, as a film, DECODING ANNIE PARKER doesn't make much sense. The film follows Dr. Mary-Claire King (played with plucky determination by Helen Hunt) as she searches over two decades for the clue to the BRCA1 gene which would link generations of women from the same family as passing down the gene to children. Inter cut is the story of Annie Parker (effectively played by Samantha Morton) who struggles with cancer many times in her early thirties. To it's credit, the film is slickly made and acted, and includes a lot of (sometimes sexual) humor, but the intertwining of these stories is not clear (the two women never met in real life, until the Q&A at the first screening at the Egyptian theatre (RIP Egyptian!!!!!!) and the film has no emotional resolution. GRADE----C+
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
SIFF Wed 6/5 to Fri 6/7--Top films LAST I HEARD, TEST, YOU WILL BE MY SON, HOUSE W/ A TURRET
Heading into the final weekend, some great films to watch, and waiting to be watched. Here's what I've seen these past 3 days.
American indie film CLUTTER has a promising premise, that being about a woman who is a hoarder--her home is so full of stuff and junk that she is forcing out her adult children as she did with her husband years earlier. Played by the delightful Carol Kane, the film is faithful to the situations and mental mind set of such sufferers. Unfortunately, her kids are almost cartoon caricatures (one daughter is practically mute, another daughter wears a dangerous looking eye patch for no apparent reason) and the laughs are very mild. The script meanders, touching on moving moments and weird situations (neighbors gather,thinking they see the Virgin Mary in a water stain on the garage door)with equal relevance. It's also directed a beat too slowly. Nice try. GRADE----C+
For those interested in the political upheavals in Mozambique in the 1960s through the 1980s, then COMRADE PRESIDENT is your film. It is well made with thoughtful talking heads. For everyone else, it is not electrifying information. GRADE----C+
The surprisingly effective LAST I HEARD is about an aging mafioso character, very well played by Paul Sorvino, who is released from prison after 20 some years, to find that life is very different outside, and he no longer has the "power" and respect he once held. There's a lot of tension created by the relationships he has with a helpful neighbor, and his estranged daughter, and the film builds beautifully to a couple of strong, sometimes shocking, scenes. GRADE------B+
A young man's girlfriend rejects his marriage proposal (in a sad scene caught on video at a baseball game that actually went viral on u-tube within a few days). ---The reason, she claims, is that his penis was too small. He sets off around the world with a director and camera man to discover what is big, small and average (and special) about the penis, and seeks remedies for his condition. This documentary called UNHUNG HERO is informative, very self deprecating, and very very funny, sometimes in a shocking way, but the sold out audience roared with laughter, even as it was gasping from shock. Very entertaining. GRADE------B+
Set in a vineyard in Saint-Emillion, France, this gripping modern day melodrama YOU WILL BE MY SON concerns the wealthy owner who does not want his son to inherit his company, for various reasons, and turns to the son of his dying best friend and steward to take over, setting the stage for political intrigue, jealousy, betrayal, and family skeletons to come tumbling forth. It's a fascinating film, with King Learish overtones. The one film of SIFF that I didn't want to end. GRADE------A
A surprisingly effective independent US film about a troupe of dancers in San Francisco in the mid-1980's, when AIDS testing was just beginning. This film is well acted by an unknown cast (who dance quite well) and it accurately captures a time and place when the spectre of AIDS seemed overwhelming and mysterious. Called T E S T, the film is also about the testing of friendships and relationships, the struggle for artistic perfection and the importance of human connection. A fine, fine effort. GRADE-------A-
INVADER is a sleek Spanish film about a doctor in the armed services in Iraq, who survives a deadly ambush, only to find out later that atrocities were involved (those nasty Americans!) and he and his family may be in deep trouble. The film glosses over the politics and turns into a chase thriller. Effective for what it is, but perhaps not totally satisfying. GRADE------B
LAST FLIGHT TO ABUJA from Nigeria, is a send up of AIRPLANE! which of course is a send up of the AIRPORT movies from the 1970's. I found it amusing for the first 10 minutes, but it gets heavy handed. The cast is attractive, but the special effects are baloney, and the plot is unbelievable on so many levels. GRADE------D
As I watched the mediocre G.B.F. (GAY BEST FRIEND) I kept thinking, is this the best film SIFF could come up with for the Gayla! celebration? If you could even hear the fast and vapid dialogue as it bounces around the cavernous Egyptyian you were probably distracted from the simplistic and cliched high school situations that TV's GLEE has handled with much greater aplomb for over four years. Generally, the actors were attractive and fine, but the script was the big let down here. This film makes the earlier screened THE GEOGRAPHY CLUB feel more and more like a minor masterpiece. GRADE--------C
A drunken slut has sex about 4 times in the first 45 minutes of NINE FULL MOONS, and even though one time was clearly a rape, she is so out of it each time, she can barely remember what really happened. There's a lot of hard drinking with all the characters, and I lost interest in the first hour, so I walked out. GRADE------C
The fine Ukrainian film HOUSE WITH A TURRET is a triumph of style, cinematography, direction and grace. The plot concerns a young boy during WWII who must depend on strangers when he becomes stranded in an unfamiliar town on an interrupted train trip with his desperately ill mother to visit his grandfather. The moving film is quiet and very perceptive. GRADE-----A-
GO GRANDRIDERS from Taiwan is a documentary about elders who travel by motor bike around the island of Taiwan in 10 days. The film is exactly what you expect, full of happiness, tears, medical problems, sentimentality, cheering, reminiscing, and some interesting scenery. GRADE----B-
From Germany comes a solid drama called FREE FALL about a young married police officer who meets and falls for a gay officer, which of course makes for a lot of tension in his family life and his work life. It is a familiar theme--I kept thinking of Tom Tykwer's fine film from two years ago called "3"--but the actors, direction, plotting, cinematography and technical work are all first rate.
GRADE---------B
LOVE IS IN THE AIR is extremely bright and slick French fluff--a comedy about two ex lovers who end up next to each other on a full plane from NYC to Paris, who hate each other, but through extended flash backs we learn the true story of their misunderstandings. The leads are extremely attractive, and there are enough jokes and sight gags to keep you entertained, but if you normally hate French fluff, the flashy slickness will only irritate you. GRADE------B-
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR THIS LAST WEEKEND OF SIFF:
CELESTIAL WIVES OF MEADOW MARI, TRIALS OF MUHAMMAD ALI, WISH YOU WERE HERE, LAST I HEARD, HORSES OF GOD, FREE FALL and TEST
The 830pm Saturday TBA at UPTOWN is David Lynch's DUNE
The 8pm Sunday TBA at UPTOWN is David Lynch's TWIN PEAKS (first Pilot episode)
American indie film CLUTTER has a promising premise, that being about a woman who is a hoarder--her home is so full of stuff and junk that she is forcing out her adult children as she did with her husband years earlier. Played by the delightful Carol Kane, the film is faithful to the situations and mental mind set of such sufferers. Unfortunately, her kids are almost cartoon caricatures (one daughter is practically mute, another daughter wears a dangerous looking eye patch for no apparent reason) and the laughs are very mild. The script meanders, touching on moving moments and weird situations (neighbors gather,thinking they see the Virgin Mary in a water stain on the garage door)with equal relevance. It's also directed a beat too slowly. Nice try. GRADE----C+
For those interested in the political upheavals in Mozambique in the 1960s through the 1980s, then COMRADE PRESIDENT is your film. It is well made with thoughtful talking heads. For everyone else, it is not electrifying information. GRADE----C+
The surprisingly effective LAST I HEARD is about an aging mafioso character, very well played by Paul Sorvino, who is released from prison after 20 some years, to find that life is very different outside, and he no longer has the "power" and respect he once held. There's a lot of tension created by the relationships he has with a helpful neighbor, and his estranged daughter, and the film builds beautifully to a couple of strong, sometimes shocking, scenes. GRADE------B+
A young man's girlfriend rejects his marriage proposal (in a sad scene caught on video at a baseball game that actually went viral on u-tube within a few days). ---The reason, she claims, is that his penis was too small. He sets off around the world with a director and camera man to discover what is big, small and average (and special) about the penis, and seeks remedies for his condition. This documentary called UNHUNG HERO is informative, very self deprecating, and very very funny, sometimes in a shocking way, but the sold out audience roared with laughter, even as it was gasping from shock. Very entertaining. GRADE------B+
Set in a vineyard in Saint-Emillion, France, this gripping modern day melodrama YOU WILL BE MY SON concerns the wealthy owner who does not want his son to inherit his company, for various reasons, and turns to the son of his dying best friend and steward to take over, setting the stage for political intrigue, jealousy, betrayal, and family skeletons to come tumbling forth. It's a fascinating film, with King Learish overtones. The one film of SIFF that I didn't want to end. GRADE------A
A surprisingly effective independent US film about a troupe of dancers in San Francisco in the mid-1980's, when AIDS testing was just beginning. This film is well acted by an unknown cast (who dance quite well) and it accurately captures a time and place when the spectre of AIDS seemed overwhelming and mysterious. Called T E S T, the film is also about the testing of friendships and relationships, the struggle for artistic perfection and the importance of human connection. A fine, fine effort. GRADE-------A-
INVADER is a sleek Spanish film about a doctor in the armed services in Iraq, who survives a deadly ambush, only to find out later that atrocities were involved (those nasty Americans!) and he and his family may be in deep trouble. The film glosses over the politics and turns into a chase thriller. Effective for what it is, but perhaps not totally satisfying. GRADE------B
LAST FLIGHT TO ABUJA from Nigeria, is a send up of AIRPLANE! which of course is a send up of the AIRPORT movies from the 1970's. I found it amusing for the first 10 minutes, but it gets heavy handed. The cast is attractive, but the special effects are baloney, and the plot is unbelievable on so many levels. GRADE------D
As I watched the mediocre G.B.F. (GAY BEST FRIEND) I kept thinking, is this the best film SIFF could come up with for the Gayla! celebration? If you could even hear the fast and vapid dialogue as it bounces around the cavernous Egyptyian you were probably distracted from the simplistic and cliched high school situations that TV's GLEE has handled with much greater aplomb for over four years. Generally, the actors were attractive and fine, but the script was the big let down here. This film makes the earlier screened THE GEOGRAPHY CLUB feel more and more like a minor masterpiece. GRADE--------C
A drunken slut has sex about 4 times in the first 45 minutes of NINE FULL MOONS, and even though one time was clearly a rape, she is so out of it each time, she can barely remember what really happened. There's a lot of hard drinking with all the characters, and I lost interest in the first hour, so I walked out. GRADE------C
The fine Ukrainian film HOUSE WITH A TURRET is a triumph of style, cinematography, direction and grace. The plot concerns a young boy during WWII who must depend on strangers when he becomes stranded in an unfamiliar town on an interrupted train trip with his desperately ill mother to visit his grandfather. The moving film is quiet and very perceptive. GRADE-----A-
GO GRANDRIDERS from Taiwan is a documentary about elders who travel by motor bike around the island of Taiwan in 10 days. The film is exactly what you expect, full of happiness, tears, medical problems, sentimentality, cheering, reminiscing, and some interesting scenery. GRADE----B-
From Germany comes a solid drama called FREE FALL about a young married police officer who meets and falls for a gay officer, which of course makes for a lot of tension in his family life and his work life. It is a familiar theme--I kept thinking of Tom Tykwer's fine film from two years ago called "3"--but the actors, direction, plotting, cinematography and technical work are all first rate.
GRADE---------B
LOVE IS IN THE AIR is extremely bright and slick French fluff--a comedy about two ex lovers who end up next to each other on a full plane from NYC to Paris, who hate each other, but through extended flash backs we learn the true story of their misunderstandings. The leads are extremely attractive, and there are enough jokes and sight gags to keep you entertained, but if you normally hate French fluff, the flashy slickness will only irritate you. GRADE------B-
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR THIS LAST WEEKEND OF SIFF:
CELESTIAL WIVES OF MEADOW MARI, TRIALS OF MUHAMMAD ALI, WISH YOU WERE HERE, LAST I HEARD, HORSES OF GOD, FREE FALL and TEST
The 830pm Saturday TBA at UPTOWN is David Lynch's DUNE
The 8pm Sunday TBA at UPTOWN is David Lynch's TWIN PEAKS (first Pilot episode)
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
SIFF Sat 1Jun--Tue 4Jun---Best this week-----HORSES OF GOD, WISH YOU WERE HERE, THE HUNT, UNFINISHED SONG sings!
Final week of SIFF, and good stuff keeps coming. Unfortunately, so does some mediocre stuff.
Here's what I've seen this week so far......
UNFINISHED SONG from Great Britain is having a big opening this summer--I've seen previews for several months. Fortunately, the film walks a fine balance of drama, comedy and music, and there is a lot of drama that the preview skirts for the music aspect. But you can't go wrong with Terrance Stamp and Vanessa Redgrave as an elderly couple facing death. Redgrave sings a stunningly moving version of TRUE COLORS, and Stamp gets great mileage for the (musical) finale. The sentimentality is kept mostly in check. GRADE-----B+
Another police actioner from Hong Kong, this one is slightly better than the previously reviewed DRUG WAR, but COLD WAR falters in the end by throwing in a couple extra characters quite suddenly, and throws the audience for a loop with a very confusing ending. GRADE-----C+
AFTERNOON DELIGHT is an indie US film about a young mother who becomes fascinated with a stripper/sex worker that she moves into her lovely Silver Lake home in LA to become a nanny for her child, much to the concern of her female circle of friends and her husband. The film takes some predictable turns, and some surprising turns, and in the end works honestly to earn the drama and laughs that this situation creates. I wish the hand held camera work wasn't there, especially in a highly intense sequence contrasting a wine and women night with a boys night out, but it's pretty impressive stuff with especially good actors. GRADE------B
Following a half dozen young boys in a shanty town outside of Casablanca starting in the early 1990's, the first half hour is dizzy and confusing (using too much hand held nonsense) and it takes a while to sort out who is who. Just when you have it figured out, the time jumps ahead 9 years when the boys are now young men, and it takes awhile to figure out who is who again. HORSES OF GOD follows their indoctrination into terrorism for the Jihad movement. The camera work and direction becomes much more stable, to make sure we understand what is going on (?), and the film becomes unsettling and disturbing. GRADE-----B+
THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM follows a young "Joberg" man back to Lesotho from the big city to bury his estranged father, where he must learn to love and respect the traditions of the rural life that he left behind many years ago. The film is smooth, beautifully filmed with great scenery, and creates a subtle irony to his journey. GRADE------B
THE PLAGUE from Spain is a series of scenes filmed in a documentary style without any plot that show the struggles of poor workers as they struggle with a difficult society, weather and loneliness. Interesting at times, but by the end it seems pointless, and may put you to sleep if you are not attuned to the characters. GRADE-----C+
The Australian thriller WISH YOU WERE HERE shows two couples having a wild party in a southeast Asia resort. When their vacation is over, one of them goes missing, and the film is intriguing and engrossing as the pieces are slowing put back together. It's a frustrating film at times as some very poor choices are made be each character, but it's fascinatingly acted and directed. GRADE------B+
The Spanish film ALI features a spoiled teen trying not to repeat the mistakes of her single mother, and I found her to be an unsympathetic and slightly annoying character. There's not much depth here, but some may enjoy the shallow situations. GRADE------C+
It's slick, but the documentary EVERGREEN: ROAD TO LEGALIZATION IN WASHINGTON tells the familiar story (to Washingtonians, at least) of the last election where possession of small amounts of marijuana were legalized--one of two states in the US to do this (the other is Colorado.) GRADE-----C+
DOG FLESH from Chile tells a dull, dreary story of a man who in the first 45 minutes brushes his teeth (twice), takes long showers, tries to get his car fixed, puts up a flag, complains about his health, and all this is accomplished with shaky hand held camera in extreme close up--often following the character from behind. I couldn't take any more, so I walked out, just before he kills his dog with scalding water, I was informed later. GRADE------D-
From Denmark comes THE HUNT, the story of a well liked small town man with many friends who finds his life in a downward cycle when a young child mistakenly admits to having inappropriate sexual touching with this man, and he finds that the town turns on him for being a seeming pedophile, especially when some other children take up the charge. It's well done and intense, but the theme and story feel overly familiar. GRADE-------B+
Here's what I've seen this week so far......
UNFINISHED SONG from Great Britain is having a big opening this summer--I've seen previews for several months. Fortunately, the film walks a fine balance of drama, comedy and music, and there is a lot of drama that the preview skirts for the music aspect. But you can't go wrong with Terrance Stamp and Vanessa Redgrave as an elderly couple facing death. Redgrave sings a stunningly moving version of TRUE COLORS, and Stamp gets great mileage for the (musical) finale. The sentimentality is kept mostly in check. GRADE-----B+
Another police actioner from Hong Kong, this one is slightly better than the previously reviewed DRUG WAR, but COLD WAR falters in the end by throwing in a couple extra characters quite suddenly, and throws the audience for a loop with a very confusing ending. GRADE-----C+
AFTERNOON DELIGHT is an indie US film about a young mother who becomes fascinated with a stripper/sex worker that she moves into her lovely Silver Lake home in LA to become a nanny for her child, much to the concern of her female circle of friends and her husband. The film takes some predictable turns, and some surprising turns, and in the end works honestly to earn the drama and laughs that this situation creates. I wish the hand held camera work wasn't there, especially in a highly intense sequence contrasting a wine and women night with a boys night out, but it's pretty impressive stuff with especially good actors. GRADE------B
Following a half dozen young boys in a shanty town outside of Casablanca starting in the early 1990's, the first half hour is dizzy and confusing (using too much hand held nonsense) and it takes a while to sort out who is who. Just when you have it figured out, the time jumps ahead 9 years when the boys are now young men, and it takes awhile to figure out who is who again. HORSES OF GOD follows their indoctrination into terrorism for the Jihad movement. The camera work and direction becomes much more stable, to make sure we understand what is going on (?), and the film becomes unsettling and disturbing. GRADE-----B+
THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOM follows a young "Joberg" man back to Lesotho from the big city to bury his estranged father, where he must learn to love and respect the traditions of the rural life that he left behind many years ago. The film is smooth, beautifully filmed with great scenery, and creates a subtle irony to his journey. GRADE------B
THE PLAGUE from Spain is a series of scenes filmed in a documentary style without any plot that show the struggles of poor workers as they struggle with a difficult society, weather and loneliness. Interesting at times, but by the end it seems pointless, and may put you to sleep if you are not attuned to the characters. GRADE-----C+
The Australian thriller WISH YOU WERE HERE shows two couples having a wild party in a southeast Asia resort. When their vacation is over, one of them goes missing, and the film is intriguing and engrossing as the pieces are slowing put back together. It's a frustrating film at times as some very poor choices are made be each character, but it's fascinatingly acted and directed. GRADE------B+
The Spanish film ALI features a spoiled teen trying not to repeat the mistakes of her single mother, and I found her to be an unsympathetic and slightly annoying character. There's not much depth here, but some may enjoy the shallow situations. GRADE------C+
It's slick, but the documentary EVERGREEN: ROAD TO LEGALIZATION IN WASHINGTON tells the familiar story (to Washingtonians, at least) of the last election where possession of small amounts of marijuana were legalized--one of two states in the US to do this (the other is Colorado.) GRADE-----C+
DOG FLESH from Chile tells a dull, dreary story of a man who in the first 45 minutes brushes his teeth (twice), takes long showers, tries to get his car fixed, puts up a flag, complains about his health, and all this is accomplished with shaky hand held camera in extreme close up--often following the character from behind. I couldn't take any more, so I walked out, just before he kills his dog with scalding water, I was informed later. GRADE------D-
From Denmark comes THE HUNT, the story of a well liked small town man with many friends who finds his life in a downward cycle when a young child mistakenly admits to having inappropriate sexual touching with this man, and he finds that the town turns on him for being a seeming pedophile, especially when some other children take up the charge. It's well done and intense, but the theme and story feel overly familiar. GRADE-------B+
Saturday, June 1, 2013
SIFF Tue 5/28--Fri 5/31 DOCS on ALICE WALKER, MUHAMMAD ALI tops--GIRL W/9 WIGS and FULL CIRCLE
SIFF is like an avalanche for the last two weeks with over 21 films shown EACH DAY at different venues until closing day Sunday 6/9.
Here's what I saw this week---
TEDDY BEARS starts with 3 couples arriving at a dessert home (filmed near Twentynine Palms, CA) for the week, and one of the men claims he wants to have sex with all 3 women this week for "sexual healing" due to the recent death of his mother. The request is met with suspicion and stony refusals, but triggers lots of discussion among the couples which challenges their relationships. Late 20 somethings are not always fun to watch, but the bright cast, led by David Krumholtz and Melanie Lynskey are amusing and sympathetic in turns. GRADE-----B
MUTUAL FRIENDS shares the same 20 something demographic, but lacks the energy, dialogue and charming actors of TEDDY BEARS. Still it is slickly filmed and some viewers preferred it over the above---but at least TEDDY BEARS plot and dialogue is more organically progressive. GRADE-----C
SOMM is a clever, informative look at the very few (about 200 worldwide) Master Sommeliers and the intense exam that each must pass to become a Master of wine. GRADE-----B
GARIBALDI'S LOVERS is a tiresome, frantic Italian "comedy" that finally gels a bit in the last 20 minutes, but by that time it is too late. GRADE------D+
Based on a true event, A HIJACKING is a slow burn thriller set in the Indian Ocean, as a group of Kenyan pirates take over a cargo ship owned by a big Danish corporation, whose owner becomes too personally involved in the negotiations that drag out the conflict. Effective. GRADE-----B
An amazingly effective U.S. documentary, TRAILS OF MUHAMMAD ALI pulls together political and social events that show how and why the great boxer became such an iconic symbol. Fascinating stuff. GRADE-----A-
I walked out of YESTERDAY NEVER ENDS, a static two character talkathon from Spain, after 30 minutes. Many that stayed referred to it as the FILM THAT NEVER ENDS, although some reportedly liked the ending. No Grade due to walk out.
Chinese director Zhang Yang (SHOWER 1999) is in full sentimental mode in this entertaining, sometimes maudlin, but heartfelt dramedy called FULL CIRCLE, about some seniors in a retirement center that are determined to put on a show, despite complications and limitations. For what it is, it is very effective. GRADE----A-
Very funny, very dramatic, very slickly produced, THE GIRL WITH NINE WIGS is a German film about a 21 year old who deals with her deadly cancer by creating new personas with wigs and make up, all the while dealing with drug therapy and radiation, friends and family. GRADE----A
I USED TO BE DARKER is a low budget film about a newly pregnant girl from Ireland who runs away from her parents to visit her aunt and uncle in Baltimore, only to find they are in the process of splitting up. The sound is not always good--the relatives are a musical bunch, but the film speak some truth to the painful reality of running away from your problems. GRADE------B
COMRADE KIM GOES FLYING from North Korea is a cheerful, bright looking fantasy propaganda film where everything is lovely, and all your dreams can come true if you work hard enough. It's silly stuff, but I giggled a lot. GRADE-----B
The serious French drama THERESE stars Audrey Tautou (AMALIE) as a disturbed wealthy woman who tries to kill her husband. Good effort and production values, but nothing new, either. GRADE----B-
From Spain, a young refugee fleeing Franco's Spain becomes a nude model for an aging sculptor who has recently struggled with his lack of creativity in THE ARTIST AND THE MODEL. The film is beautifully shot in black and white, and has a delicate sensibility, with scenes and themes of war, voyeurism, love, death, and art mixed into a pleasing blend. GRADE-----B+
From Denmark comes IT'S ALL SO QUIET, a somber, reflective film about the loneliness of a rural farmer, who is taking care of his elderly immobile dying father, and finds himself strangely drawn to a friendly dairy trucker. The lead actor Jeroen Willems is intriguing--he died shortly after filming this gentle thoughtful film. GRADE-----B+
MARIE KROYER also from Denmark, is a period piece about a woman torn between her mentally disturbed husband, and a younger composer. It looks fine, but the plotting is familiar, and the film lacks some oomph and passion. GRADE------C+
A splendid, well made documentary about the famous writer and activist, ALICE WALKER: TRUTH IN BEAUTY informs and provokes thoughtful awareness of social and political issues. This film is part of a fine trifecta of documentaries about some great African American icons in the United States----see also ANITA and TRAILS OF MUHAMMAD ALI. GRADE-------A
THIS WEEKEND I WOULD RECOMMEND------ALICE WALKER: TRUTH IN BEAUTY, THE WALL, SOMM, SHORT TERM 12 and INEQUALITY FOR ALL--BUT WARNING, THESE ARE ALL POPULAR, SO GET THERE EARLY.....
Here's what I saw this week---
TEDDY BEARS starts with 3 couples arriving at a dessert home (filmed near Twentynine Palms, CA) for the week, and one of the men claims he wants to have sex with all 3 women this week for "sexual healing" due to the recent death of his mother. The request is met with suspicion and stony refusals, but triggers lots of discussion among the couples which challenges their relationships. Late 20 somethings are not always fun to watch, but the bright cast, led by David Krumholtz and Melanie Lynskey are amusing and sympathetic in turns. GRADE-----B
MUTUAL FRIENDS shares the same 20 something demographic, but lacks the energy, dialogue and charming actors of TEDDY BEARS. Still it is slickly filmed and some viewers preferred it over the above---but at least TEDDY BEARS plot and dialogue is more organically progressive. GRADE-----C
SOMM is a clever, informative look at the very few (about 200 worldwide) Master Sommeliers and the intense exam that each must pass to become a Master of wine. GRADE-----B
GARIBALDI'S LOVERS is a tiresome, frantic Italian "comedy" that finally gels a bit in the last 20 minutes, but by that time it is too late. GRADE------D+
Based on a true event, A HIJACKING is a slow burn thriller set in the Indian Ocean, as a group of Kenyan pirates take over a cargo ship owned by a big Danish corporation, whose owner becomes too personally involved in the negotiations that drag out the conflict. Effective. GRADE-----B
An amazingly effective U.S. documentary, TRAILS OF MUHAMMAD ALI pulls together political and social events that show how and why the great boxer became such an iconic symbol. Fascinating stuff. GRADE-----A-
I walked out of YESTERDAY NEVER ENDS, a static two character talkathon from Spain, after 30 minutes. Many that stayed referred to it as the FILM THAT NEVER ENDS, although some reportedly liked the ending. No Grade due to walk out.
Chinese director Zhang Yang (SHOWER 1999) is in full sentimental mode in this entertaining, sometimes maudlin, but heartfelt dramedy called FULL CIRCLE, about some seniors in a retirement center that are determined to put on a show, despite complications and limitations. For what it is, it is very effective. GRADE----A-
Very funny, very dramatic, very slickly produced, THE GIRL WITH NINE WIGS is a German film about a 21 year old who deals with her deadly cancer by creating new personas with wigs and make up, all the while dealing with drug therapy and radiation, friends and family. GRADE----A
I USED TO BE DARKER is a low budget film about a newly pregnant girl from Ireland who runs away from her parents to visit her aunt and uncle in Baltimore, only to find they are in the process of splitting up. The sound is not always good--the relatives are a musical bunch, but the film speak some truth to the painful reality of running away from your problems. GRADE------B
COMRADE KIM GOES FLYING from North Korea is a cheerful, bright looking fantasy propaganda film where everything is lovely, and all your dreams can come true if you work hard enough. It's silly stuff, but I giggled a lot. GRADE-----B
The serious French drama THERESE stars Audrey Tautou (AMALIE) as a disturbed wealthy woman who tries to kill her husband. Good effort and production values, but nothing new, either. GRADE----B-
From Spain, a young refugee fleeing Franco's Spain becomes a nude model for an aging sculptor who has recently struggled with his lack of creativity in THE ARTIST AND THE MODEL. The film is beautifully shot in black and white, and has a delicate sensibility, with scenes and themes of war, voyeurism, love, death, and art mixed into a pleasing blend. GRADE-----B+
From Denmark comes IT'S ALL SO QUIET, a somber, reflective film about the loneliness of a rural farmer, who is taking care of his elderly immobile dying father, and finds himself strangely drawn to a friendly dairy trucker. The lead actor Jeroen Willems is intriguing--he died shortly after filming this gentle thoughtful film. GRADE-----B+
MARIE KROYER also from Denmark, is a period piece about a woman torn between her mentally disturbed husband, and a younger composer. It looks fine, but the plotting is familiar, and the film lacks some oomph and passion. GRADE------C+
A splendid, well made documentary about the famous writer and activist, ALICE WALKER: TRUTH IN BEAUTY informs and provokes thoughtful awareness of social and political issues. This film is part of a fine trifecta of documentaries about some great African American icons in the United States----see also ANITA and TRAILS OF MUHAMMAD ALI. GRADE-------A
THIS WEEKEND I WOULD RECOMMEND------ALICE WALKER: TRUTH IN BEAUTY, THE WALL, SOMM, SHORT TERM 12 and INEQUALITY FOR ALL--BUT WARNING, THESE ARE ALL POPULAR, SO GET THERE EARLY.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)